Battle of Sniper Street

The Battle of Sniper Street was a military action of the Iraq War that took place on 11 March 2008. The US Marine Corps sent two squads under the command of Lt. Oswald Raymond to clear a district of Karbala nicknamed "Sniper Street" from Iraqi insurgents. The neighborhood was strongly defended by the insurgents, and the Americans were unable to take over the street due to heavy losses from Iraqi marksmen.

Battle
On 11 March 2008, two squads of US Marine Corps soldiers under Lieutenant Oswald Raymond were dispatched to patrol a neighborhood of Karbala, Iraq that was nicknamed "Sniper Street" due to the several insurgent snipers that targeted patrolling American soldiers. The patrols were ambushed by the insurgents as they entered the area, with heavy fighting taking place along a street that was littered with burnt-out cars and concrete barriers. The American troops engaged the Iraqis in tough street fighting, but many marines were picked off by Iraqi snipers that took cover behind a wall, using crates of oranges to have a sniper's perch behind cover. The Iraqis inflicted heavy losses on the marines, and the Americans were pushed back when they made attempts to flank the snipers. The marines were forced to pull back due to heavy losses, and the area remained in insurgent hands.